From the sidelines to the spotlight: NFL female ref says it's not about gender

One NFL line judge has been receiving a lot of recognition these days. Sarah Thomas has gone from the sidelines to the spotlight.

Although the Mississippi native and mother of three never intended to be a pioneer in American football, Thomas is on her way to possibly becoming the first full-time female referee in the NFL.

"I know it's a novelty and I think that diversity is a thing the national football league is looking to do and we embrace that," said Thomas.

The former college basketball player traded in her jersey for black and white stripes 17 years ago. Now, Thomas is one of 21 finalists currently in the NFL Officiating Development program, with a good shot of becoming a permanent official.

"Ten years in and 2 years later, I had no idea that there were scouts that watched officials and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time," said Thomas.

Since then, Thomas has officiated nearly everything on every level from college games and bowl games, to even becoming a familiar face and Saints training camp.

"She's been a part of a crew that's worked our training camp every year and she's done a great job," said Saints Head Coach Sean Payton.

Despite her small stature and ponytail tucked neatly under her cap, players say they often don't realize it's a woman calling the shots.

"For us there's no difference. All I know is she's wearing black and white stripes and she has a hat and a whistle. So I have to be nice to her," says Jimmy Graham jokingly.

"It's not that easy to become an NFL judge, just like it's not that easy to be an NFL player," said Drew Brees. "There's a lot of qualifications, a process, but certainly she seems like she is deserving if she's going to be out there," Brees said.

As the NFL warms up to the idea of a female ref, Thomas says she takes gender out the equation altogether. Thomas says it's about doing the best job she can, fine tuning her skills, to become a permanent fixture of the game she loves.